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Notorious film critic, Mark Kermode, will be in Hatfield on Friday (May 2) to dish all the insider details of his job.

Arriving in town via motorbike, he will treat audiences to a journey across the modern cinematic landscape, blending historical analysis with trenchant opinion, bitter personal prejudice and laugh-out-loud acerbic humour.

He will also be launching new book Hatchet Job, Love Movies, Hate Critics in which he asks ‘who needs the professionals now that everyone’s a critic?’ For decades, the backbone of film criticism has been the hatchet job – the entertaining trashing of a film by professional reviewers, seen by many as cynical snobs. But with movie posters now just as likely to be adorned by Twitter quotes as old-fashioned reviewer recommendations, has the rise of enthusiastic amateurism sounded the death knell of a profession?

Mark will host a Q&A and a book signing after his talk.

The event is hosted by community radio station, Radio Verulam and funds raised will go towards its development.

The Rex’s James Hannaway and team will also be there to give an update on the progress of the Odyssey Cinema.

Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Friday, May 2, 8pm. Details: 01707 281127, radioverulam.com/kermode